1
a
: possessing or full of pores
b
: containing vessels
hardwood is porous
2
a
: permeable to fluids
b
: permeable to outside influences
3
: capable of being penetrated
porous national boundaries
porously
adverb
porousness
noun
Examples of porous in a Sentence
The country has a porous border.
a cleaner that should not be used on porous surfaces
Recent Examples on the Web
The trip marks Jaishankar's first to China since 2019, before the deadly June 2020 clash in the Galwan Valley in the porous, de facto Sino-Indian border in the Himalayas.
—
Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
These canals have porous walls that allow water to seep into the ground and refill area aquifers while also regulating flow to prevent runoff.
—Sofia Perez, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
With the team in the midst of another summer swoon and desperately trying to avoid a seventh straight loss on Sunday, that trend continued at Citi Field during porous fifth and sixth innings.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025
Bleach also does not deal with roots of mold colonies growing on porous surfaces.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for porous
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Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
These canals have porous walls that allow water to seep into the ground and refill area aquifers while also regulating flow to prevent runoff.
—Sofia Perez, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
With the team in the midst of another summer swoon and desperately trying to avoid a seventh straight loss on Sunday, that trend continued at Citi Field during porous fifth and sixth innings.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025
Bleach also does not deal with roots of mold colonies growing on porous surfaces.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for porous
Cite this Entry
“Porous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/porous. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
porous
adjective
po·rous
ˈpōr-əs 
ˈpȯr-
1
: full of pores
2
: capable of absorbing liquids
Medical Definition
porous
adjective
po·rous
ˈpōr-əs, ˈpȯr-
1
: possessing or full of pores
porous bones
2
: permeable to fluids
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